Island County Fire District 3 commissioners will focus on their search for a new chief at a special meeting today.

Representatives from Emergency Services Consulting Inc. of Wilsonville, Ore., are gathering information from commissioners and others in the district to develop a specific job description.

The meeting is at noon today at the Saratoga Inn, 201 Cascade Ave. in Langley.

“It’s going to be a nationwide search,” Chief Dan Stout said. “It will be interesting to see what kind of applicants we get.”

Stout said the consultants, who were awarded the $15,000 search contract, are conducting meetings throughout the week with people in the district.

Stout said he will retire from his $97,200 job in February after 43 years with fire services in California, Spokane and South Whidbey.

He will have been with Fire District 3 for six years.